Which instrument to restore first?
Hi All, My piano tech visited recently to regulate my piano's action. He did a great job, but he told me I was mad to restore my Hupfeld vorsetzer first and then take care of the Duo-Art Pianola. the vorsetzer really is a mess, it'll take 2 more years to complete it I guess. It takes way shorter to get the DA running (not perfectly regulated I guess, that could take a while). He suggested I'd do the DA first, then the Vorsetzer...... I'm afraid if I restore the DA, I'll neglect the Hupfeld... I really want both restored fast, but I'm short on time too. what would you do? 1) wait with the DA (which plays excellent as a normal piano, and reasonable as 'normal' pumper now) and finish the Hupfeld first 2) Stop working on the Hupfeld and do the DA first 3) work on both at the same time (I'm afraid I start forgetting details then)

Do the Hupfeld first! There's plenty dull old DA's in the world but a Hupfeld vorsetzer newly restored would be a very very interesting and musically rewarding piece of apparatus to have! If you do the DA first you will only end up fiddling with it for years afterwards! Hupfeld! :lol:

As long as the DA works OK as an ordinary pianola then I agree with Adam, but not if it means being without any kind of player. I wouldn't even bother with the Duo Art bit as long as the themodist works, but I suppose you have a duty to restore it someday :) Neil

If the Duo-Art works OK as a player piano then it's very little work to get the DA side working. British PEDA boxes take an evening to rebuild, no more than that! Have a look at my website's 'Understanding the PEDA' page for some more thoughts. I find the longest-winded job to be the stack valves, which must be right for a DA to work properly. Cleaning off all the old leather and putting on the new is OK, but travelling them so each valve is the same takes time even if you do it efficiently. If the stack already sort-of works, don't bother. Just do the DA box and see what happens. What I've found is that you need to hammer away at these things, because if you do, you get a LOT faster. It took me weeks to do the first deck of my Steck grand, and just one evening to do the last one. So, what I'd really recommend is to set aside a week or two when you spend several hours at a time every day, and you'll find you'll get so much faster that you can finish both instruments in the time you plan for one! Julian

Work on the Hupfeld 1st , as i feel your heart will be more into it. The DA will be fanastic too ,but can wait a little longer till the Hupfeld is completed.That way you will take your time doing it and enjoy the DA at a better pace.

I didn't say the DA worked OK :P haha it works as a pumper with no extra's I connected the footpump directly to the stack, through the expressionbox, but all expression funtions are disabled. the only thing the expressionbox does for now is leak a lot of are and shut off the stack on rewind. but the stack is rather good, at least the valves are. the bellows are a bit stiff, but repetition is excellent.. (except for some bass notes) I think the point of fiddling with the DA after restoring it is a good one, I know myself and I don't overestimate my restoring capabilities after doing 2 player piano's. It won't be perfect right after I think I'm done. I'll think I'll just carry on with the Hupfeld. (I need not to think that much, but do something instead)

I vote (1) Good luck with both :) Paul

I still say that if the DA works OK as a pedal player, then all that you need do is a quick bit of work on the DA expression box and you should have an adequate DA for only a little work! If you were a bit closer I'd say bring the expression box round one day and we'd just do it there and then! Don't be put off doing it because it's not familiar - you only learn by trying. Indeed, there's some logic in saying you should always tackle the least familiar tasks first, get them out the way and learn a bit as you do. Julian

Hi, I'm definately not waiting with the expression box because I'd be pu off by it. I doesn't look that complicated (to restore, not mentioning it's function). I'm still not sure what I'll do...... guess I end up doing them both at the same time.....